B's blocking out big picture, focused on Game 1 vs. Caps

BOSTON – For the Boston Bruins, the quest to repeat as
Stanley Cup champions begins Thursday night at TD Garden. While
there’s no denying their ultimate goal is to defend their
title, the B’s know full well they can’t get ahead of
themselves.

It’ll take 16 wins for hockey’s Holy Grail to remain
in possession of the Black and Gold. First up on their agenda is
securing win No. 1 against the Washington Capitals. Any chatter
revolving around winning back-to-back Cups can wait.

“No, we just don’t even talk about [it],”
Chara said. “We’re focusing on Game 1 and taking it one
game at a time.”

Coming in as the No. 2 seed against the seventh-seeded Caps has
led most to conclude Washington is the underdog in this series.
Chara doesn’t look at it that way.

“I don’t know if they can certainly call themselves
underdogs but to me, it’s just everybody at this time of year
starts at the same level,” the B’s captain said.
“It’s something that we have to approach it that way
– play hard every game and take care of business.”

Coach Claude Julien liked what he saw at morning skate and feels
his troops are prepared for the battle that lies ahead.

“I think it was a focused morning skate more than a quiet
one,” said Julien. “I thought our (players) seemed
prepared for the tilt. You hope that our experience through
the past years have served us well and that we will be ready to go
once that puck is dropped.”

The B’s, as most recall, got off to the roughest of starts
in last year’s playoffs, dropping two games on home ice to
fall behind 0-2 in their quarterfinal series with the Canadiens.
For Chara, it was a trying experience, as an illness slowed the
6-foot-9 defenseman in the series opener and kept him out of the
second tilt.

Boston’s anchor on the blue line is happy to be healthy
heading into the postseason this time around.

“I feel fine. You’re always kind of banged up a
little bit but it’s just a part of the whole regular season
– 82 games,” Chara said. “But for the most part
it’s been a good year for that, so it’s good to go into
the playoffs feeling good and healthy.”

Chara knows he and the B’s will have to remain on
their game for the entirety of the contest, especially after
watching Pittsburgh blow a 3-0 lead in a 4-3, overtime loss against
the Flyers in their first-round clash on Wednesday night.

“Well, I watched a little bit,” Chara said. “I
didn’t watch the whole thing but I saw that Pittsburgh was
up, Philly came back and tied the game and then won it at the end,
so, it just tells you [that] you have to play for 60 and it’s
never over until it’s over.”

In the grand scheme of things, No. 33 and Co. will remain
focused on the smaller picture, as their series with Washington is
the first of many steps toward where they ultimately want to
be.

“Yeah, I think so,” Chara said. “I think you
can’t be looking at something [when] you’re not even
there yet.”

The “there” Chara mentions, of course, is being
within reach of bringing the Cup home for a second-straight spring,
but the Bruins will tackle that topic when the time comes. For now,
they’re solely focused on getting their playoff journey
started off on the right foot.